This is a spoiler free advance preview of the shows pilot episode.
If you thought the age of vampires was over think again Reginald The Vampire is part of a list of fresh vampire shows gracing the television market in Fall 2022. The other television shows are Interview with a Vampire (AMC) and Vampire Academy (Peacock) ,so the question remains will Reginald be part of a new vampire television resurgence?
Based on the Fat Vampire book series by the author Johnny B. Truant, I'm glad the writers/producers changed the title of the series to Reginald The Vampire , the name change feels like a call back to classic vampire series like Buffy The Vampire Slayer but also at least to me doesn't give the impression that the whole show is about Reginald's weight which could potentially offend a lot of people. From the pilot the show deals with themes about body image , love , coming of age , self acceptance and friendship all in the form of a television series about immortal ageless vampires. Its a campy comedy drama about Reginald Andres, a young man who becomes a vampire portrayed by Jacob Batalon ( of Sony/MCU Spiderman fame). The series also stars Emily Haine , Savannah Basley and Mandela Van Peebles in supporting lead roles.
Jacob’s role as Reginald is his first leading television role as an actor. Reginald as a character is an interesting deconstruction of current vampire mainstream mythology because he looks like a normal person and not like the stereotypical fantastically inhumanely gorgeous vampires we’ve become used to in recent pop culture years (Twilight). At its core Reginald as a series is an underdog coming of age story. The show plays with a lot of old vampire tropes but gives them a fresh take. For one, a lot of cast members on the show are people of color, mainstream horror has generally been a genre that has at times historically alienated a lot of people of color in leading roles.
Pilot episodes are a difficult undertaking as they involve not only setting up a lived in world but introducing new characters and most of all giving viewers a hook to keep them tuning into the show week to week. Whilst I wasn't blown away with the pilot episode there is enough there for me to give the show a couple more weeks to watch it grow and to see if it evolves into something special. The strongest part of the show for me from the pilot are the character interactions.
Conclusion :
The show has an interesting premise but much like cult hits that came before it, how the show moves forward from this point will determine if it will fail or rise into an interesting show that manages to develop a strong cult following. The show will air on the same nights as the second season of the Syfy channels Chucky tv series , pairing both horror shows together for the fall season was a smart move by Syfy.
Reginald The Vampire premieres Wednesday, October 5th 2022 at 10/9C on the Syfy channel.
"Will you be watching the show this season ?"
Let us know in the comments below.
